A spokesperson for Sony Interactive Entertainment has confirmed that there will be no PlayStation presentation at E3 this June, for the second year running.
Reported by gamesindustry.biz, the company will (again) not be putting all of its eggs in the E3 basket in 2020, and will instead be “participating in hundreds of consumer events across the globe”. The spokesperson claims that this is part of an effort to make sure “fans feel part of the PlayStation family and have access to play their favorite content”.
Now major industry players can easily do their own major events and announcements online, like PlayStation’s own “State of Play”, I can see why a big and bloated event like E3 might not seem worth the effort any more. Sony won’t need to fight for its share of headlines if it makes its own news schedule, after all.
Likely in resonse to Sony’s announcement, Phil Spencer took to Twitter earlier this morning to confirm Team Xbox would not be skipping this year’s expo, stating “Our team is hard at work on E3, we look forward to sharing with all who love to play what’s ahead for us.”
Our team is hard at work on E3, we look forward to sharing with all who love to play what's ahead for us. Our artform has consistently been propelled by the cross-section of creativity and technical progress. 2020 is a milestone year in that journey for Team Xbox. #XboxE3 #E32020
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) January 14, 2020
The ESA (Entertainment Software Association), the organisation behind E3, also made a statement in response to Sony’s decision:
“E3 is a signature event celebrating the video game industry and showcasing the people, brands and innovations redefining entertainment loved by billions of people around the world. E3 2020 will be an exciting, high-energy show featuring new experiences, partners, exhibitor spaces, activations, and programming that will entertain new and veteran attendees alike. Exhibitor interest in our new activations is gaining the attention of brands that view E3 as a key opportunity to connect with video game fans worldwide.”
Um. Cool story, ESA.
Did you actually hear what you were supposed to be responding to, or did you just wake up from a nap?
